U.S. Marshals Reports & Reviews

U.S. Marshals Reports & Reviews (1)

Scammer's phone 5714088429
Victim Location TX 78722, USA
Total money lost $65,641
Type of a scam Phishing

My employer lost a bag of her personal payroll information for all employees. She sent a letter to employees around May 15 stating that she lost the bag which included employees' names, addresses, social security numbers, and more. Then, on 6/16, I received an automated call stating that my social security number has been suspended, then I was given the option to "press 1 to speak with someone." Thinking it was related to my employers' mistake, I pressed the number to hear more. I spoke with a man named Paul Emar who gave me his agent ID number, my case number, and told me that my name and information was being used on many bank accounts and on two addresses in El Paso, Texas. He also listed five banks which he said were also linked with my name, and I stated that I do not bank with them. He then asked me which banks I do business with, and then I told him. Then, he told me that I was a suspect of money laundering and drug trafficking in Mexico and Colombia. He concluded by telling me that I had two options: to hire a criminal lawyer or to proceed with an ADP protocol, in which they would help me safeguard my funds over the phone. I chose the ADP protocol. He then transferred me to my "officer" to complete the ADP protocol, who I was told was a U.S. Marshal, whose name was J. Sheehan.

A few things of note for the forthcoming details: J instructed me to always keep him on the phone and to not put him on mute or on hold, and that if I receive any incoming or make any outgoing calls, to merge the calls with his. I was told I could not tell anyone about what was going on, even friends and family, because they were potentially suspects. As instructed, I went to my bank and withdrew funds in cash and also cashed a check I had on my person. He then instructed me to use an ATM to withdraw funds using my other bank's debit card. I was unsuccessful at withdrawing any funds from my second bank, which is mostly all online. I also purchased money and bitcoin on CashApp. He instructed me to take the cash and go to a Coinsource machine and deposit the cash to buy bitcoin using a QR code for a digital wallet that J texted to me. The following day,

I drove to my second branch's only physical branch in a different city so that I could make a cash withdrawal. Then I went to a machine called Bitcoin of America and bought bitcoin with the cash. Because I could not withdraw more cash from the bank, I initiated a wire transfer from this bank to my first one, and then withdrew the cash and repeated the process of purchasing bitcoin through a machine using the QR code. I also purchased more bitcoin with CashApp and did so through an application called AnyDesk through which they could see my phone screen. The next day, Friday 6/18, I sold funds from an investment account of mine so that I could repeat the process. Those funds were not available until Monday 6/21. Saturday 6/19, I sent them more bitcoin through CashApp. On Monday 6/21, my funds were available through my bank. I sent a wire transfer to my second bank account, cashed the funds, and then deposited them through a bitcoin machine. Then, they asked for more money and I told them I needed some of my money to make a down payment on my car. I was transferred to a person from the "treasury" to whom I explained the situation and he told me I could keep some money to pay my car. Then, he called me back to tell me I had been scammed and they were Pakistani scammers.

Useful

U.S. Marshals Contacts

If you know any contact information for U.S. Marshals, help other victims by adding it!

U.S. Marshals

U.S. Marshals Reports & Reviews (1)

Report U.S. Marshals

U.S. Marshals Contacts